ASTANA. November 27. KAZINFORM /Rizvana Sadykova/ On Monday Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov started his working visit to the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (Hong Kong); the Prime Minister's press service reports. The Prime Minister visited the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and met with its Chairman Ronald Arculli. The sides discussed the issues of activation of business cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Special Administrative Region in the financial and banking spheres.
The sides discussed the issues of activation of business cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Special Administrative Region in the financial and banking spheres, in particular, investments and expansion of interaction in attraction of the Kazakh companies to the listing of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited.
Kazakh PM met with Chief Executive of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, China, Donald Tsang. The parties noted necessity of signing an agreement on non-visa regime for the business circles of Kazakhstan and Hong Kong and launching direct air flights. He also met with Choi Yiu-kwan, the Monetary Authority Deputy Chief Executive (Hong Kong's central banking institution) and the issues of interaction between the National Bank of Kazakhstan and Hong Kong's Monetary Authority were discussed. The parties exchanged information on measures on overcoming the consequences of the world financial crisis and considered opportunities of mutual investments attraction. The issues regarding Kazakh companies' ambitions to launch an IPO at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were considered at the Kazakh Premier's meeting with Hong Kong Chief Country Officer of Deutsche Bank Peter Lo. Besides, the Prime Minister met with Managing Director of Carlyle Group Yang Xiang-Dong.
On Monday November 23rd the Fourth Civil Forum started in the "Expo center "Korme" exhibition complex. It will continue in the National Opera and Ballet Theater named after K. Baiseitova, where the ceremony of delivery of public recognition award "Tanym" will take place. Plenary session of the Civil Forum will be held at the Palace of Independence tomorrow. The Civil Forum can be called the main dialogue platform of state bodies and NGOs, and the most anticipated event in the life of the third sector due to its format, qualitative level of participants, issues raised and adoption of concrete decisions at governmental level on its outcome. The Forum has brought together about 700 participants from near and far abroad. The Civil Forum is the venue of dialogue of state bodies and NGOs and the most anticipated event in the life of the third sector due its format, qualitative level of participants, issues raised and adoption of concrete decisions at governmental level on its outcome. With all the problems needing solutions, the social sector in its entirety has expanded and grown where the major role belongs to the non-governmental organizations of Kazakhstan. Like in many countries where NGOs serve for the benefit of people, in Kazakhstan they proved to be a real tool of formation of civil society. The glaring example is the anti-nuclear movement Nevada-Semey - the activity of many people succeeded in closing the nuclear testing site for good. The Bobek fund laid the foundation of charity activity for children. Ethno-cultural associations such as "Vainakh", "Renaissance" and "Mitsva" contribute to international harmony through projects.
The civil sector is able to mobilize the society's efforts for a breakthrough although some analysts forecasted social tension, enhancement of protest moods in Kazakhstan amid the crisis. First Vice Prime Minister Umirzak Shukeyev said at the IV Civil Forum in Astana. "However we didn't face such situation. This sets the best pattern of well established cooperation between the state and third sector", U. Shukeyev noted. "The state creates favorable conditions and non-governmental organizations direct social resources for solution of serious social challenges. This is an important index of competitiveness in society", the First Vice Premier said. He also noted that the country's success depended both on new technologies and human potential and cohesion. "To date the civil sector of Kazakhstan represents the force that is able to mobilize and direct the society's efforts for a breakthrough", Shukeyev highlighted. The Vice PM also reminded of Kazakhstan's forthcoming chairmanship in the OSCE. "We must perform huge work on study of the European experience in realization of different projects in humanitarian security ensuring", he stressed. "The state reckons on active involvement of the civil society institutions in these processes", U. Shukeyev added.
At the beginning of the week President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited "Kazakhfilm" studio within his working visit to Almaty. The Head of the State was demonstrated new equipment and technologies purchased recently. A program and schedule of film shooting for the next year was presented too. "Due to the President's support ten feature films, two TV series, eleven feature shorts, ten documentaries and first national full-length film "Er Tostik" and first animated series "Kazakh Eli" were shot", President of Kazakhfilm Yermek Amanshayev has said. In 2010 the studio plans to raise the number of its viewers up to 1 mln. In this connection "Golden Warrior" first commercial project was launched. The film will be shot together with Timur Bekmambetov. Projects "Black Major" with Yegor Konchalovsky and "Irony of Love" with Rinat Davletyarov will be launched.Since the year beginning the studio has fully modernized its production base. Management of the film studio also changed. A Centre of Development of Film Projects is functioning here. President Nazarbayev has urged the Mayor of Almaty to preserve the territory of "Kazakhfilm". He said it Monday after visiting the territory of the film factory in Almaty. "We are going to make about nine films, and we would like it to be good works", the President noted. Our films take only about 3% of the domestic film distribution. In this regard the film factory was on the decline. I helped to buy the equipment for "Nomad" film. Revival of the studio is underway today. We will further develop the film factory", the Head of the State said. He noted that it is necessary to do our best to preserve the studio. It was stated that the Government allocated KZT 4 bln for "Kazakhfilm" JSC in 2009.
President also visited the Medeo high-mountain sports complex, which is under reconstruction in the connection with upcoming 2011 Asian Winter Games. The Head of the State surveyed plans of the Medeo rink reconstruction, talked to young athletes. He noted that the Medeo rink, Shymbulak ski center are not only for 2011 Asian Winter Games, but for the people as well. Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Yessimov presented reconstruction plans nd told about the course of construction work in the Medeo rink. "Mass skating will be opened by the Kazakhstan Independence Day. Construction work is going to completion", A.Yessimov said.
On Wednesday Kazakh President arrived with working visit to Kyzylorda. It is expected that the Head of the State will open "Altyn uya" ("Golden nest") 320-seat kindergarten. The Head of the State surveyed "Zhuldyz" ("Star") and "Botakan" ("Colt") groups. President positively estimated the new establishment. There were created all conditions for full upbringing and education of children. It is necessary to note that it is the first big kindergarten in Kyzylorda. Governor Bolatbek Kuandykov made a report on implementation of the state housing program. The rate of the program implementation is high. Over 10 months there were made construction works to the amount of KZT 56.1 bln. Head of the State visited the regional universal library which will be named after famous poet Abdilda Tazhibayev soon. The five-floor library covers the area of 15,912 sq m. The facility can be really called as a temple of books. Prior to surveying the library the President had a meeting with the representatives of intelligentsia, students and teaching staff of the local universities. Akim of the region Murat Mukhammedov made a report on the state of affairs in the oblast's library system. Making a working visit to Kyzylorda Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the training center "Techmaman". The center affords an opportunity to train for new technical skills to unemployed. First Deputy Akim of the region Madiyar Aldongarov made a detailed report on the center's work. N. Nazarbayev also got acquainted with the investment projects and goods produced in the region.
Today Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has arrived with an official visit to Belarus. In the airport of Minsk he was met by Prime Minister of Belarus Sergey Sidorsky and other officials. N. Nazarbayev is expected to meet with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. The talks both in narrow and extended formats will be held. Following their results a number of bilateral documents will be signed. Within the framework of the visit the Kazakh leader will lay flowers to the Monument of Victory in Minsk, meet with the management of Republican Unitary Production Enterprise "Belarusian Autoworks" (BELAZ), "Lidselmash" OJSC and take part in the summit of information-communication technologies "Connect the CIS Space". Along with the Kazakh and Belarusian leaders the presidents of Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will take part in the summit. On November 27 President Nazarbayev will take part in the sitting of the EurAsEC Interstate Council. The Kazakh President is accompanied by Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs Kanat Saudabayev, Minister of Industry and Trade Asset Issekeshev, Minister of Emergencies Vladimir Bozhko, Chairman of Financial Supervision Agency Yelena Bakhmutova, Akim of Aktobe region Yeleussin Sagindykov and others. Kazakhstan and Belarus established diplomatic relations on September 16, 1992. The states cooperate in bilateral, multilateral formats and within such organizations as the UN, OSCE, EurAsEC and CIS. Kazakhstan is the third large trade partner for Belarus after Russia and Ukraine. Over the period January - September 2009 the bilateral commodity circulation between the two states amounted to USD 316.8 billion. Belarus and Kazakhstan will implement 37 projects amounting to USD 3 bln for development of trade-economic cooperation. Noting that all projects are represented in the regions, the Head of the State emphasized: "Your delegations visited our oblasts. The prospects are very good. I think that we can do a lot together". Kazakh President noted that despite the crisis, Kazakhstan prepared the industrialization program, joint plan on economic cooperation between the two states for 2009-2016 align with this program implementation. In this connection the Kazakh President expressed confidence that the Customs Union will help to implement the program and overcome difficulties. "Kazakhstan is ready to export grain, energy feedstock and other products to Belarus. The cooperation will be carried out on several directions. We are very interested in the Belarusian experience in the agrarian sector, including agricultural engineering, and in the chemistry sphere", President Nazarbayev said. According to him the visit of Belarusian President to Kazakhstan in 2005 gave a good impulse to the two countries' relations. Today the Kazakh-Belarusian enterprises function fruitfully. In the course of the visits of the Prime Ministers of the two countries there were held negotiations. In the Kazakh President's opinion, Belarus modernized large plants, which turn out competitive production. Engineering enterprises of Belarus are represented in 160 countries. President Lukashenko, in his turn, invited his counterpart to come again to Belarus with official visit. The Belarusian President noted that the Kazakh agriculture develops dynamically and it has great potentials. "We intend to work with you. We can implement projects in Kazakhstan under your auspices", President of Belarus emphasized.